Salary Range

• Salaries for IT specialists range widely, depending on the level of the position. Those providing basic technical support within companies tend to earn on the low end of the spectrum, while those providing strategic direction for a company's IT needs can earn an executive-level salary. Additional factors include whether the employee has a bachelor's or master's in Computer Science or a related subject, and whether the position is full- or part-time.
  
  

Salaries

• Salaries for IT specialists range from a low of $36,000 to a high of over $130,000. Most full-time positions include benefits such as insurance, 401k, paid vacation, and on-the-job training. Hours can be flexible, and part-time roles also abound. Part-time IT specialists can expect to make between $12 and $15 an hour. These part-time jobs usually don't offer the same benefits as full-time jobs, but do often include health insurance and on-the-job training.
  
  

Duties

• IT specialists can work in a wide range of fields, and their duties vary accordingly. Technical support staff help teams within an organization with all aspects of day-to-day technical needs, from installing software on individual computers, to troubleshooting network connections. Strategists recommend and often supervise the implementation of organization-wide technology solutions, often working as senior executives or consultants. In between, there are a variety of possible roles, from database administrator to network engineering.
  
  

Training

• IT specialists often have a bachelor's or a master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or Mathematics. In addition, most professionals with a view towards growing their careers keep current with trends in their chosen field by attending professional conferences, taking continuing education courses, and belonging to professional organizations that provide peer learning.